National Republican., 1887-01-24

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Referring to
our conversation yesterday, and in answer to
your inquiry as to the properties peculiar to
gun iron as compared with ordinary cast iron,
/ beg to say: American standard gun iron is
the result of many years experience by skilled
workmen with q view TO increase the tensile
strength, hardness, and ductility of cast iron
proper. Its tensile strength Is more than
doubled, its density is increased some 10 per
cent. and its ductility is such that sections
taken from n cast gun have been welded, and
section four inches wide by two inches thick
may be drawn down to an edge at the black
smiths forge. This product is obtained by
selecting the purest hematite ore and smelling
melted in the reverberatory furnace and kept
In fusion q longer or shorter time, depending
upon the judgment of the experienced smelter
as to when the pouring of the casting will give
tho best result. In case the molten iron should
be kept too long in fusion IT. would become
malleable, and would not make sound cast.
As the dusty o n the casting 0 IS r
by continuance in fusion, II Is Kept in this con-
dition as long as practicable. Again, after the
casting has been poured the course adopted to
prevent rapid cooling operates to anneal the
casting, and so increases Its ductility or tough
ness.
Since 1880 heavy guns have been constructed
in this country of this material, improving
from year to year, until Americans were as
proud of theii "Dahlgrcn" aud "Rodman"
guns as they were of their fleet Of clipper
made in the United States at the commence
ment OF our civil war than were made by
any nation on the face of the earth at that
time. After the war this country dropped Off
into Rip Van Wrinkle sleep, as far as ordnance
was concerned. A new generation has come
into action, and very little is known of tho
heavy ordnance. Our ordnance department
has been content TO allow the achievements OF
Dahgren and Rodman to pass iuto oblivion.
Our older officers know better; but the younger
thpOriaQ
Qor there has been no demonstration OF the
endvrance OF heavy guns In Europel, and no
effort is made 70 continue the career of progress
that was SO brilliant up to the close of the war.
should not dare to state tho almost incredible
uniform excellence of the Dahlgren and Rod
man guns If was not able TO support !the
statement from Official records.
Admiral Porter has said that he did not
know Of the failure of Il Dahlgren 9inch, H.
inch, or l5.inch eun In service.
Admiral Ammen has said that II is now
known that the ll-inch Dahlgren gun on the
Monitor might have been fired with heavier
charges than was thought safe to use when she
crippled the Merrimac.
Gen. Benet has stated to a committee of Con-
gress that he did not know of the failure of
any Rodman gun In the service of the United
States. Gen. Benet has also said to a commit
tee OF Congress that no one OF the hundred
and more S-inch rifles converted from S.ton
Rodmnn guns had ever failed or shown any
signs of weakness-that several OF them had
been fired many hundred rounds each-and
that In one instance one had been fired re-
peatedly under pressures of more than 100, 900
pounds to the square inch OF bore without in
jury and that one had been fired more than
one hundred rounds with charges that would
penetrate fourteen inches Of iron.
sit not likely, therefore: with this array of
evidence as TO the reliable character of this
material in guns, that we may make guns of
the highest power from casting of gun iron
1t is all mistake. to. thoroughly conclude
that gun to be high power must be of
The high power is produced by. the length of
the bore In connection With the character of the
powder used. As matter OF fact, the high
power guns of Europe are not subjected to the
severe stress that our Dahlgren and Rodman
guns have been subjected to; yet they fre-
quently fail, while we have had no failures.
force until the Inertia of the shot is overcome;
| when The proieotile is In motion the long bore
keeps 1t in the hands of the powder, SO to
have applied to the projectile, the, aggregate
force Of two guns, or a double length gun and
double charge OF powder thus we have
strain is distributed @ over twice fRe length Of
bore by gradual development, we find that the
pressures upon the bore are actually within
me OF ieIy 70 our gnS
ing rifle has been made and partially tested at
Sandy Hook. IL has been fired 1877 rounds
with heavier charges, both OF ofpowder and shot,
| than was used when the 12-inch highpower
gun on the Collipgwood burst How much
| cannot be said.
| Admiral Shufeldt, after witnessing the fir
| ing Of this gun and after examining its record,
| said that In his Judgment II should be adopted
| as the standard of American ordnance.
/ have proposed to Congress to furnish high.
| power Rodman rifles OF gun iron, of standard
dimensions, and guarantee them to endure
| equally with modern built.up steel guns, at
| half the cost of such steel guns.
As our establishment has the certificate OF
| the chief of ordnance that for more than half u
| century we have done similar work for the
| United States government, and that In all
| cases our contracts have been faithfully car
| Iied out: that our experience and facilities for
| the production of superior iron gun metal are
| equal to any in the country; 1t would seem, II
| the United States desires high-power guns,
| that such proposition ought TO be availed of.
| Very respectfully, WILLIAM p. HUNT,
President South Boston Iron Works.
MOTHERS know the benefit of Red Star
| Cough Cure. II contains no opiates